Wednesday 15 October 2014

Dubai Visa Rules: Short-term UAE visit visa via smartphone

Dubai Visa Rules: Short-term UAE visit visa via smartphone: The Ministry of Interior (MoI) has launched three new procedural services via smartphones, which include issuance of short-term visit visas (for 30 days), renewal of citizens’ passports, and issuance of Certificates of Good Conduct (Criminal Status Certificates).

The new services are launched under the slogan 'One Application... Multiple Services' and embody the UAE Smart Government initiative.

Major-General Dr Ahmed Nasser Al Raisi, Head of the e-Services and Smart Applications Team at the MoI, explained that the new short-term visa issuance service saves time for citizens and residents alike, and enables individuals to apply for a 30-day visa through their smartphones, without the hassle of visiting the General Directorate of Residency and Foreign Affairs at the Naturalisation Residency and Port Sector.

Once the visa is issued, it will be delivered to the applicants via accredited entities designated by the MoI.

He also noted that the Civil Defense informatics services provide individuals and institutions with the necessary information about compliance certificates, as well as executive approvals for architectural, gas, and decoration.

More new services

Maj-Gen Dr Al Raisi announced that the MoI is planning to launch a new bundle of services for Traffic, Naturalisation, Residency, and Civil Defense sectors; as well as other services in the upcoming period via the UAE - MoI smartphones apps.

“The MoI has already initiated the necessary executive procedures to expand these services and make them accessible to all citizens and residents,” he said.

Maj-Gen Dr Al Raisi said, “A Smart Application Centre was established at the Ministry of Interior. It is operated by a highly qualified team of Emirati citizens, to handle all electronic procedures pertaining to these services, and respond to customers’ inquiries via the call center on 8005000.”

He also noted that to date 205,000 individuals are using the applications that the MoI has launched early this year, with an average 54,000 uses per day. While the number of subscribers via the Emirates ID card amounts to 62,000 users.

MoI platform supports Apple, Android, BlackBerry and Windows compatible smartphones.

It provides an electronic link with a number of partners in the UAE, car inspection and insurance companies; as well as an integrated comprehensive link to the ministry’s website, through the unified login mechanism (username and password) to obtain services from any channel of electronic communication.

Users can register once using the single sign-in feature on the website or through smartphones, and gain access to all of the MoI’s services.